We are lucky to live in the modern days where food selections are much more diverse compared to the past. Remember how nasi lemak or toasted bread with sunny side up eggs used to just be or available for breakfast? Now you can have it at any time. With the vast kinds of available food and beverages, knowing the nutritional content should be a priority and much easier with many online tools and applications. We are familiar with the words carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamin and mineral but how about lysine? If this is your first time knowing this word, you might want to read more about lysine below.
Lysine is part of amino acid which makes up the protein in the body. Lysine is essential for humans and can only be obtained through food. This amino acid plays a lot of roles in the body such as calcium absorption in the body to build strong bones and cartilage, building protein for muscle growth, helping the body to produce hormone, enzymes or antibodies and help the body to recover from sports injuries or surgery. It also works to help control blood sugar, reducing risks for heart disease and lowering stress hormones. The usage of lysine in treating diseases like herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection, migraine, neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease like hypertension, osteoporosis and mood disorder such as anxiety, has therapeutic effect for these health concerns. Low levels of lysine in a person’s body may cause a person to be susceptible to diseases, prone to stress and being irritable, tiredness, losing focus easily, growth problems, anaemia, hair loss and reproductive problems. Thus, this shows how lysine is important in a human life as it helps the body to function properly and have a healthy mind.
What kind of food can you eat to get lysine? Lysine is mostly high in animal products such as meats, fish and dairy products. Fret not, if you cannot eat animal-based products due to diet preference or restriction, there is always an alternative to get this essential amino acid. This is especially true if you decide to take it in forms of drinks. Below are examples of drinks high in lysine:
1- Soy milk
2- Soy-based protein drinks (mostly in powder formula but also available in liquid)
3- Milk shake
4- Whole milk
5- Brewed coffee made from fresh grounded coffee beans
6- Chocolate drink
7- Orange juice
8- Cranberry juice
9- Banana juice
10- Lime juice
11- Tangerine juice
12- Lemon juice
13- Pineapple juice
14- Blueberries juice
15- Blackberries juice
16- Grape juice
17- Watermelon juice
18- Pear juice
19- Mango juice
20- Papaya juice
21- Tomato juice
22- Avocado juice
Reading through the lists of drinks containing lysine can be very tempting especially being in our country where it is either sunny almost all day needing some thirst quencher or cold rainy day with a warm cup of coffee or chocolate drinks. Although drinking these beverages helps your body to get the needed lysine, there is still the need to be careful when purchasing or making one. It is best to choose drinks that are low in sugar and free from any other additives, flavouring and colour. Avoid added sugar drinks and best to have it plain when possible. It is better to drink decaffeinated coffee as caffeine can increase irritation to the stomach and the gastrointestinal tract. Caffeine may also cause less absorption of certain vitamins in the body. Choosing a plant-based protein drink is the best way to go as it is much gentle to the digestive system. Check our Hajj Vaccination Package.
